Dave Castenson, the patriarch of the family, was driving his mother, Velma, home from a doctor’s appointment when they were struck by a driver who was texting and driving and ran a stop sign at the intersections of Iowa Highway 175 and Samson Avenue in rural Dayton. Both Dave and Velma were killed.

“It was a split second and it took two lives that day,” said Kristi Castenson. “Distracted driving took two lives that day — a text message. I never thought I’d lose my husband or my mother-in-law to a text message. Was it really that important? Because our hearts have been forever broken.”

Since the accident, Castenson has advocated at the state level for a hands-free driving bill that would require drivers to put down their cell phone or similar electronic device when behind the wheel.

“I tell people to close their eyes and then open them again,” said Castenson. “In that short moment — in that blink of an eye — you have no idea what just happened in front of you. If we’re in a vehicle and we do that or we’re looking down at something, we can cause permanent damage to somebody or to something. Is a text message worth that? Is it worth someone’s life?”

While a hands-free driving bill has been discussed in Des Moines for the past decade, it has never passed. However, this year, the hands-free driving bill is moving quickly and even advanced on to the Senate last week.

“This bill will save lives,” said State Rep. Ann Meyer. “We have all heard of someone involved in distracted driving incidents involving cell phones. Sadly, the consequences can range from property damage to injury to death. It has been compared to drunk driving, which obviously is against the law. We have all seen people driving without even glancing up from the phone in their hand.”

The bill has stalled out in previous years, with some lawmakers concerned about overreach in telling drivers what they can or can not do in their vehicles. But Castenson says distracted driving is no different than drunk driving or not wearing a seatbelt when it comes to laws, it’s an issue of safety.

“It’s a careless act,” said Castenson. “The devastation for the survivors and for the families, it’s unreal. It’s hard when you read in the paper that an accident was caused because the driver was using a cell phone. I’ve met so many families like mine who have gone through this, and it’s horrific. It just needs to be done. Life is way too short. No text message is that important to take a life or to injure someone. It can wait until you get somewhere. It’s not that important. We’re hoping and praying that it passes this year, that this will finally be the year. I hope and pray that it does.”

According to Meyer, if passed as it’s currently written, the bill would give drivers a six-month warning period in which they would be pulled over but not ticketed. Enforcement of the law would begin Jan. 1, 2026, which would include a $100 fine.

“I just want that phone call that it’s passed,” said Castenson. “Finally, my kids could celebrate. David was 56. He would want this and be advocating for it if the roles were reversed. People have to stop dying because of texting and driving.”

By the Numbers

• More than 3,000 people died in distracted driving accidents in 2024.

• More than 400,000 injuries were caused by distracted driving in 2024.

• Drivers are 23 times more likely to be involved in a collision if they text while driving.

-National Highway Traffic Safety Administration